UDM, ACT, ATM lodge complaints over alleged vote rigging
The leader of the African Congress for Transformation (ACT), Ace Magashule, says his party has submitted a formal complaint to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) over the alleged rigging of votes.
The former ANC secretary general claims there was foul play in the Free State, Gauteng and the North West - costing the party much-needed votes.
Magashule spoke to the media at the National Results Operation Centre (ROC) on Saturday morning.
The former Free State premier said he was informed of the vote-tampering by party agents who were monitoring results in various provinces.
The party wants the IEC to do a recount.
"The result we see now is basically fraud. Look at the election result slips and what the IEC has actually put on the system; it is not what we see here.
“As required by the IEC legislation, we have lodged a formal objection with many other parties, more than eight parties, because there is a lot of rigging," said Magashule.
He added that the party has evidence to back up its claim.
"We are not speculating. We are not saying something that is not real. We have a lot of videos showing presiding officers with ballot boxes being tampered with.”
Magashule said areas under scrutiny include Mangaung, Maluti-a-Phofung, Kroonstad and Sasolburg in the Fezile Dabi region.
Meanwhile, UDM Deputy President Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said his party experienced the same problems in the Eastern Cape.
He believes their performance would have been better if it wasn't for the alleged rigging of votes..
"The recount is simply because there were a lot of irregularities with the result capturing. UDM is part of a group of political parties in the Western Cape that signed the petition requesting a recount," he said.
ATM leader Vuyolwethu Zungula also said his party would investigate all options available to ensure that all objections are addressed.
“We are going to look at the materiality and different factories, but we are going to do everything in our powers to make sure that we fight for the votes of our people,”
The IEC has vowed to attend to all issues raised by parties.
Parties were given an extended deadline of 6 pm on Saturday to submit their complaints.
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